Chloe sits on the Lotus cat tower ($399) from the Refined Feline displayed at Cat's Meow, a grooming spa and boutique for cats in Mill Valley, Calif., on Tuesday, August 20, 2013.

Chloe sits on the Lotus cat tower ($399) from the Refined Feline displayed at Cat's Meow, a grooming spa and boutique for cats in Mill Valley, Calif., on Tuesday, August 20, 2013.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

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Kitty corner: Spa leaves its clientele purring

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As Irene Leija and Stacey Ward pondered cutting into a piece of the nearly $6 billion pie that is the pet grooming industry, they discussed who the target clients for their new business might be.

They came up with an unusual profile: furry, fussy, prone to hissing when things don't go their way, and - perhaps the most challenging - completely capable of grooming themselves with their own scratchy little tongues.

While most other grooming professionals chase the dog audience, Leija and Ward are determined to corner cats. In April, they opened Cat's Meow Grooming Spa & Boutique in Mill Valley, with Leija as owner and Ward as assistant spa director.

And despite the giggles they sometimes encounter when explaining their business model, in the end, it could be Leija and Ward who are laughing all the way to the bank.

Exact numbers for what people spend on fluffing up their furry companions aren't available because market research companies like the American Pets Products Association and IBISWorld lump grooming along with boarding in their annual statistics.

But it's clear that animal pampering is increasing in popularity, with the association naming pet spas as one of the hottest trends in its 2011-12 National Pet Owners Survey.

Owners report such "musts" as mouthwash and electric toothbrushes for dogs, pedicures complete with nail polish for birds, yoga classes and catnip packaged in tea bags for cats.

In 2012, consumers spent $4.16 billion on grooming and boarding, with $5.54 billion projected for this year, reports the association.

Leija, a former accounting manager and information technology executive, and Ward, a professional cat groomer for nearly 13 years, discovered through their research that most feline treatments weren't truly cat friendly. Indeed, the advice website Petcentric ( www.petcentric.com) warns that most pet spas are really dog spas with cat services added as an afterthought.

Leija has two dogs, two cats and two birds, while Ward has six cats. Both have extensively studied animal psychology and cat behavior, with Leija taking courses in cat grooming, and Ward working at a high-end vet's clinic for nearly a decade. They determined that besides being scary environments for high-strung cats, multiuse spas can be dangerous. The oils in dog or human shampoo can be toxic to cats, Ward said.

And so Cat's Meow was born as a 1,083-square-foot, by-appointment-only shrine to pampered felines, but with a decidedly human sensibility. Two-footed customers enter a canopied storefront on the corner of Blithedale and Sunnyside avenues, to be greeted by an array of boutique cat toys, interior-decorator-caliber cat furniture and gourmet cat foods. Soft music plays in the background, and two waterfalls cascade in gentle rain showers behind the reception desk.

The client fills out a profile form for the cat, which is then "interviewed" for its personality and preferences before being taken to a treatment room dressed in soothing mocha-and-cream-colored walls with a kitty-size spa bed, a custom handmade copper sink, dimmed lights and votive candles. Cat-relaxing pheromones and calming lavender hydrosols are pumped throughout the rooms, which are soundproofed to protect against startling distractions outside.

"It's all about tranquillity and more compassionate grooming," said Ward.

Among the indulgences is a Refresh and Revitalize package that includes a full coat comb-out, facial, ear cleanse, oral assessment, sanitary cleanse and clawdicure for $60 to $80.

"Yes, cats maintain themselves, but they can only do so much," Leija said.

Understanding the distinct nature of cats is critical. "One must work around the innate behaviors of each of these species to have a successful, low-stress outcome," said Dr. Lynne Lankes, a veterinary consultant and feline practitioner at San Rafael's Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital in San Rafael who is on the Cat's Meow board of directors. "You cannot rush cats and expect them to flourish; they are not small dogs."

To encourage ongoing care, Cat's Meow therapists share tips on how to offer mini-spa treatments at home, with classes offered on stressless grooming. The at-home maintenance promotes not only a kitty's good looks, but also bonding between pet and caretaker.

"Cats want to be understood," Leija insisted. "After a session with us, they strut, dance and act completely differently."

Cat's Meow Grooming Spa & Boutique

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